Times They Are A-Changin'

by

Bob Dylan

1965

Bob Dylan; born May 24th
1941 in Duluth

"Times they are a-changin'" sang Bob Dylan in
1965, and indeed in the realms of popular music they certainly
were changing.

Although the top groups were still riding high, the UK's
obsession with the group sound was beginning to fade and new
artists were appearing. The trend was towards singer-songwriters
on both sides of the Atlantic.

'Times They Are A-Changin'' was actually recorded in 1964
and Dylan had some UK success during that year with albums, but
this was his first success on 45 rpm reaching #9.

Bob Dylan, drawing heavily on influences from Woody Guthrie,
wrote prolifically. His songs became familiar during the remaining
1960s years. Sometimes they were sung by other people, like the
Byrds -one of the 'new' groups that appeared to displace those
that came before.

Eve Of Destruction

by

Barry McGuire

1965

Barry McGuire born 15th October
1937 in Oklahoma

1965 saw the appearance of the 'protest' song, a manifestation
of the new 'Dylan' folk sound.

There was no better example than 'Eve Of Destruction' which
reached the UK #3 position. The song even gave rise to a less
successful 'answer' record called 'Dawn Of Correction' by a group
calling themselves the Spokesmen.

Barry McGuire had a varied career in the 1960s. Before
going solo with 'Eve Of Destruction' he was the lead singer with
the New Christy Minstrels. So he was familiar with an altogether
different style of 'folk' with numbers like 'Green, Green' and
'Three Wheels On My Wagon'.

Despite quite good material, Barry McGuire never had impact
on the UK chart again under his own name. However, his close
association with the Mamas and Papas a year or two later mean
that he can be heard as a backing vocal on a few more 1960s singles.

Catch The Wind

by

Donovan

1965

Donovan Leitch born May 10th
in Glasgow

The quasi-folk sound of 1965 gave rise to the UK producing
its own offerings. Although subject to obvious comparison with
Bob Dylan, Donovan achieved an altogether lighter, less serious,
style than his American counterpart.

'Catch The Wind' was the first of many successful UK releases
and achieved a chart position four places higher than Dylan's
'Times They Are A-Changin''

Donovan managed to enter the UK top ten chart no less than
seven times during the 1960s but never got to the elusive top
position. However, the popularity of British music in the USA
during this period enabled him to reach #1 in that country with
'Sunshine Superman' in 1966.

And I Love Him

by

Esther Phillips

1965

Esther Phillips born December 23rd
1935 in Galveston

Although the industry's practice of creating multiple cover
versions to compete with original issues was coming to an end,
covers in the form of different interpretations of good songs
could still be found.

This record is an example of such a re-interpretation.
Esther Phillips was an entirely different artist to the Beatles.
This suitably retitled version of their 'And I Love Her' shows
an entirely new dimension to the song. She also made a female
version of the Percy Sledge hit 'When A Woman Loves A Man'

Esther Phillips began singing professionally during her early
teens, at which time her small stature allowed her to adopt the
name 'Little Esther'. The earlier part of her career was spent
singing and recording Rhythm and Blues with which she became
well known but never hit the big time.

She reverted to her true name in the early sixties and
began to sing a wider variety of material. Her biggest chart
success came in 1962 with 'Release Me' which made #8 in the USA
but had no impact on the British scene until Engelbert. If any
record demonstrates that chart position is no indicator of quality
then 'And I Love Him' does. Although none of Esther's singles
had UK chart success they are all well worth seeking out.

In The Midnight Hour

by

Wilson Pickett

1965

Wilson Pickett born March 18th
1941 in Pratville

1965 also saw a significant growth in the popularity of
'Soul' music. Motown and Atlantic were to continue as two of
the genre's most successful labels for the rest of the decade
and beyond.

Wilson Pickett had a longer chart life than many of his
contemporaries. His hits included a Soul version of the Beatles'
'Hey Jude' which was his final UK top twenty success at the end
of the decade.

'In The Midnight Hour' is now regarded as a Soul Classic
and has itself been covered by many singers.